The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-28
A BIG GOUGE ON THIS STATE
More Crookedness Discovered in the In
sane Hospital Contract Syste N.
State Auditor Carr Finds Vouchers Showing
That the Trustees Paid So ~ Gallon Ter
Strawberries Worth Only 50 Cents.

As an additional instance of Democratic
sxtravagance, allowance of a recent bill by the
Insane Hospital board is significant Phil
Gapen. one of the Democratic trustees of rh9s
institution, was asked bv a Journal reporter
yesterday, where John Pierson, who supplied
the hospital with Strawberries in June last
could be found. why he is q farmer out there, y
replied tho trustee, II don't know much about
him as have seen him only twice. Do you
want to know anything concerning his straw
berry contractT
mot particularly at this time Does he live
near the hospitall"
81 can't say. His farm is somewhere in that
neighborhood. The trouble with you people is
that you don't understand. do not wish to I'M
derstand the law under which work We
can't buy anything for the hospital except on
bids. and those bids received only for q
months supplies. II we let contract at the
monthly meeting of the board for that purpose
at a certain figure, and the market price is lower
the next day than the contract figure, we can't
help it. The law says we must buy provisions
in that way. 1t is a good law, tno and ought to
be in force all over the country whore large in
situations are maintained"
Then you bought strawberries from farmer
John Pierson last June only contractP
Yes. he was the lowest bidder"
berries2"
Il can't say positively. but think at 30 cents
per gallon. 1t might be a cent less. The pa
pers at the hospital"
You did not pay moro than go centsf'
"No. The berries we got were not moro than
sight cents quart That would be 80 cents a
After the board at its monthly meeting audits
accounts and allows the bills, a statement OF all
orders and vouchers for the month is presented
to the Auditor OF State, and upon that the
a n In Y
this statement showed that $2I, 451 25 was need
ed to pay tho bills for the month of June. In
memorandum, John Pierson, Strawberries
$776 56D There nothing to tell as
to the contract price. The vouchers
were delivered with a statement. but 1t has not
been the custom to examine them on the pre-
sentstion of the statement it is concluded
that the aggregate, being no larger than the &C
months. is correct An examination
of the July hospital statement,
after the warrant for $2l. 45L % had been given
TO Gapen, the treasurer of the board, and after
he had been paid by the Treasurer, suggested
that the strawberry account for one month was
rather large Turning to the voucher it was
times mora than his contract price 1t read
follows:
The State of Indiana account of the Hospital for
the Insane,
To JOHN PERSON. DR..
june 30. 255ls gal strawberries a 1922. .$776.56
In Duplicated
The Sta = of Indiana, Marion County.
/ hereby that the foregoing bill of account 10
correct and just and wholly unpaid; that the exact
consideration therein charged for received by the
said hospitals that the same any part thereof has
not been since communted and that neither bonus,
commission any other consideration has been given
stipulated within my knowledge belief. because
of the proposed exchange of value therein set FORTH
OF for any other reason. JOHN PIERsoN.
Subscribed and sworn to before this I'd day of
July, 1887. j. s. HALL Notary Public.
lSEAL.l
Received payment in full. JOHN PIERsoH.
INDIANAPOLIS, July 5, 1887.
Thereby certify that the foregoing bill of is
correct and Just. j. s. HALL.
John Person, } Book and Storekeeper.
$776.56.
For strawberries
Audited by the board of trustees and order
issued for payment July z, 1897. from funds appro
priated for maintenance. THos. II. HARRISON,
President of Board
Accepting trustee Gapen's word that the
tract price for these strawberries was 81 cents
per gallon, Pierson should have been paid only
&91. 20. Instead of that the Democratic board
of insane trustees allowed him So. rs per gallon
when the berries could have been bought in
market for from 20 to 80 cents per gallon. By
the favor of the board, Pierson got out of the
State treasury $685. &c more than his due.